"If you don’t like cyclists going through red lights, support cycling infrastructure": Cyclists jumping lights spark debate; Van der Poel's terrifying uphill sprint; Doughnut shop can't open due to World Champs; Creepiest bike + more on the live blog

GRAN FONDO IS GO!! 🟢@PerthandKinross - you were looking straight 🔥 this morning! #GlasgowScotland2023 | #PowerOfTheBikepic.twitter.com/cuG3kcysl3

— 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships (@CyclingWorlds) August 4, 2023

Let me know if anyone spots Lappartient...

*Admin cries into sandwich* @mathieuvdpoel making Montrose Street look like the flat...🥴pic.twitter.com/Yrx4RyYwAt

— 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships (@CyclingWorlds) August 4, 2023

Pardon my language but flipping heck... That too on a practice session as riders familiarise themselves with the roads.

Some responses from locals:

"Mental. It takes the average Glaswegian 3 weeks to get up that hill."

"Jeez, our little Honda Jazz struggles up this hill!"

"I can’t even walk up that street."

Time to bring back this old adage from the road.cc way of news: "Getting on a bike does not make you a saint", so it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise or a shock that cyclists sometimes jump traffic lights, as evident by this viral video on Twitter from yesterday.

Fellow #cyclists, please respect pedestrian crossing esp. when someone is pushing a buggy. pic.twitter.com/dvwM6Odsoi

— SanjayLalwani 🌍🚴 (@i_SanjayLalwani) August 3, 2023

Just as a refresher of the Highway Code: Pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders, motorcyclists, cars, vans, and HGVs, in that order.

At the next signal I caught up with all the three riders!

— SanjayLalwani 🌍🚴 (@i_SanjayLalwani) August 3, 2023

for every 1 cyclist there are 100+ drivers breaking the HWC.

— SanjayLalwani 🌍🚴 (@i_SanjayLalwani) August 3, 2023

But of course, as we know, Amsterdam — one of the best cities for cycling in the world, has in the past experimented with doing away with traffic signals altogether, and with some success.

Until 2016, one of the Dutch capital’s busiest intersections at Sarphatistraat-Alexanderplein was controlled by traffic lights, with cyclists, the predominant users in Amsterdam as in a lot of Dutch cities.

The test was part of a larger mobility strategy across the city to make more room for cyclists and pedestrians, meaning limiting access and space for private vehicles. The new setup forced people to engage with their surroundings: Instead of relying on traffic lights, they now relied on their own abilities and the cues of others.

Over the period of a year, it was seen that cyclists had become more aware of their surroundings and of other road users. In less than two weeks, the evolution was already observed on Alexanderplein.

Delay times were reduced and safety remained unaffected, showing that regulation can lead to responsible and alert road users. It was so successful that the pilot was extended and a few months later the lights were completely removed, and even led to the junction’s redesign.

And not just completely doing away with traffic signals, I'm sure the presence of a segregated cycle lane cannot be stressed enough for increasing the safety of both cyclists and pedestrians, as pointed out by road safety expert Adam Bronkhorst.

Traffic signals are for the management motor traffic. The best cycling in NL avoid having them anywhere near cyclists!

— The Ranty Highwayman (@RantyHighwayman) August 4, 2023

But the question is if Netherlands did it in 2016, in a country where the cycling revolution kicked off in the 1970s, how far behind is the UK where we'll get to see Dutch levels of not only riding, but also safety for all road users?

UCI's President David Lappartient has revealed that he will be riding the Gran Fondo World Championship race along with hundreds of other cyclists, to take place later today.

Along with hundreds of fellow passionate cyclists, I’ll be participating in the Gran Fondo today as part of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

Best of luck to all of the competitors! #GlasgowScotland2023 | @CyclingWorldspic.twitter.com/RdbpdQIg8D

— David Lappartient (@DLappartient) August 4, 2023

A Glaswegian doughnut shop, called 'Tantrum Doughnuts', has said that it is "unable to open" due to road closures courtesy of the UCI World Championships taking place right now, despite being "promised business access" by the Glasgow City Council.

"Unfortunately we won’t be able to open our Gordon Street shop today. We were promised business access to drop off the doughnuts in the early hours this morning, but after 3 hours of trying to get in we couldn’t even get remotely close to the shop!" wrote the doughnut shop account on Facebook.

"We’re trying to figure out what to over the next week as we are devastated - this was going to be a busy and exciting week for the City Centre," it continued, informing that the west end and south side shops will stay open for business as usual.

The post has drawn sympathy from its regulars customers on social media, and even enraged a few of the locals against the council even more, which ironically has become public enemy number one in the Scottish city.

"I hope the council will be held accountable for this, but somehow they'll blame contractors or someone else for their lack of forward planning. It reminds me of cop 26 when we were all promised access to walking routes and deliveries, etc, but come the day... Access denied. It's mind over matter. They don't mind and we don't matter. Good luck with access during these events," read one comment.

Another person wrote: "Glasgow City Council screwing over businesses again...really sorry to read this... I hope something can be sorted so you can provide excellent doughnuts for regulars and tourists alike."

This is the first time all disciplines of cycling championships are being hosted in one city at the same time, making Glasgow the first host of the major historic event. However, in the months prior, a bitter brawl has brewed between the council and the residents over traffic restrictions and car park closures.

> Furious locals blast “absolutely ridiculous” decision to close car parks for UCI Cycling World Championships time trials

While in some cases residents were able to secure compromises with the council, as evident in the case of the para-cycling championships in Dumfries where the council tweaked the timings of the event to enable those who live in Summerville Crescent to access the street through the supermarket’s carpark, the general consensus, to use a broadest of broad generalisation, hasn't been well.

Just earlier this week, locals slammed the council for road restrictions to be put in place for the Gran Fondo event taking place later today, with some residents plotting a "100-mile diversion" they would need to take just to cross town during the event.

While the loss of business would surely come as a setback for Tantrum Doughnuts, who find themselves in a peculiar jam and have all the right to throw... a tantrum (you know it was coming), there's always the chance that locals, regulars, and tourists pop into one of their two other outlets to have a bite (or more) of what seems to be genuinely good doughnuts from the reviews.

And some good news for potential customers is that they are offering 25 per cent off of purchases of six or more doughnuts, just today. I can report that if Bex Francis' comment under the Facebook post is to be trusted, they do "fancy a tantrum" and will be "buying them all" with the discount on offer. I could tell you I'd fancy one right about now.